Heisenberg - Uncertainty Principle

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Transcript of Heisenberg - Uncertainty Principle

HeisenbergUncertainty Principle "The more precisely the position is determined, the less precisely the momentum is known in this instant, and vice versa. "--Heisenberg, uncertainty paper, 1927

Where is the electron? Right Here So you know where it is but where is it going? It is really hard to tell.If you know exactly where it is at an instance,you do not know where it will be, because your photon beam just changed the path. So you decide to lower the intensity so you don't change the electron's path and you can study where it is going. Here is the path. Where is the electron? You may think it is right here.But now it's not.It is only in the general area.Your beam was not precise to know where it is exactly. First you should understand that electrons are very small.Lets put it into prospective. This is a block.It is about one centimeter by one centimeter large. Here is one atom.This is not real size but you have to be able to see it. This is an electron. So how can you determine where it is?You determine where an electron is with a photon beam. To get the most precise measurementyou can up the intensity on the beam.This gives the beam more energy and a higher chance that it can move something. However you run into a problem.If you up the intensity it will move the electron whenit hits and then it will no longer be there.The electron is so small that it will move when hit. You don't have this problem normally because almost everything has moremass than an electron

Now you can lower the intensity of the beam to lessen the chancethat it will move the electron. This means you can study the paththat it moves. But you overall only have a very vague idea of where the electron actually is at any one point. This in general illistrates his point.He shows that haveing electrons in specific rings around the nucleous is not how electrons are, because thereis no logical way to know this for certain. Nucleus Rings where electrons are Old Modle: You may have learned this Heisenberg Modle Nucleus Where electrons may be Matt Nestler

Whoa, what was that, am I implying that that was an electron path. That was no electron path.My teacher taught me that electrons fly around in organized energy levels around its nucleus. That is the paradox, without full knowledge of both path and position; you must assume that it takesall of the possible random paths around its nucleus.